Brain Injuries will be Determined in the Ambulance

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İTÜ | Mar 02, 2018

With the "KASK" system developed by the İTÜ faculty, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Akduman and his team, brain injuries resulting from accidents, strokes and vascular occlusion can now be diagnosed in the ambulance.

With the "KASK" system developed by the İTÜ faculty, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Akduman and his team, brain injuries resulting from accidents, strokes and vascular occlusion can now be diagnosed in the ambulance.

The Brain Hemorrhage Early Diagnosis and Imaging System for Ambulances (KASK), which enables in-ambulance detection of brain injuries resulting from accidents, strokes and vascular occlusion was introduced with the support of Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) and Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA).

Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering Department Head, Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Akduman, speaking at the introduction event explained that KASK was produced to prevent and reduce death by diagnosing brain injuries resulting from accident, stroke and vascular occlusion in the ambulance.

"Early detection is vital"

Dr. Akduman stating that this project had been carried with the support of İSTKA, said: "Stroke is listed as the second deadliest disease in the world and in our country, and at the same time it is the most important cause of neurological disorders in adults. Ischemic stroke occurs with the occlusion of the vessels leading to the brain whereas hemorrhagic stroke is caused by the rupture of the vessels in the brain. Drugs for dissolving blood clots in ischemic infarction are given, but if the same treatment is applied to a hemorrhagic stroke, it is highly likely that the patient will be lost. For this reason, it is vital that the source of the stroke is correctly detected during the first intervention and before the treatment begins. The detection should be done before the hospital, on-site or during the ambulance transfer, and the hospital team should be informed and prepared for the correct intervention. KASK was developed as a device to detect the cause of stroke quickly and accurately before the hospital."

“We have a new addition to the medical devices developed at İTÜ"

Dr. Akduman said that KASK was designed at İTÜ, that the prototype has been produced and that the tests have been successfully completed, stating: "After a trauma, in the mobile ambulance, it determines whether the symptom in the patient's brain is ischemic or hemorrhagic, continuously monitors the patient's condition by tracking the bleeding, allows the correct treatment to start promptly, and does not contain ionized radiation. Patent application work is almost complete. The phantoms tests were successful and the required applications have been made to the Ministry of Health, Medicines and Medical Devices Agency to start clinical tests. Thus, we have a new addition to the medical devices developed at İTÜ.”

"We will continue to introduce our new projects"

Our Vice Rector, Prof. Dr. Ali Fuat Aydın stated that they have carried out a total of 25 joint projects with ISTKA since 2011 saying “Beyond the numerical size of our projects, having received the title of research university from YÖK in 2017, in line with the university’s mission, it is worth noting that this research will be contributing to the prosperity of society by focusing on issues that related to Turkey's development. In the coming days, we will continue to introduce our interdisciplinary studies, benefitting different segments of society. I want to take this opportunity to wish that our new ISTKA project will be carried out successfully. "
Prof. Dr. Serhat Şeker, Dean of İTÜ’s Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of İTÜ, thanked the İTÜ scientists who developed and contributed to the project, stating “This project is a very good example of the transfer of science and technology to the public. As a requirement of the system, it is important to observe the small effects and take precautions before a major disaster. "

Following the presentation, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Akduman explained the working principle of the device to the participants.